Human Body: Pushing the Limits

Empty

9 p.m. Sunday, March 2Discovery Channel

If you're old enough, or have enough memory, Discovery Channel's sensational "Human Body: Pushing the Limits" will remind you of that quirky cinematic journey into the human anatomy we took in 1966 with "Fantastic Voyage," an epic science fiction adventure that had microscopic-size scientists Raquel Welch and Stephen Boyd swimming among blood cells while fighting off the human body's more menacing viruses.

This "Human Body" peeps beneath our skin to show us how the body and the brain undergo fantastic changes -- and mind-blowing feats -- just to keep us active every day. This is hyper-reality TV.

This four-part documentary -- focusing on "Strength," "Sight," "Sensation" and power-to-the people ("The Brain") -- is a virtual tour of the human body that uses animation and graphics in a highly original way.

Although the telecast favors a view of the body in crisis -- fighting the elements or achieving great feats of strength and willpower -- we are treated to a mesmerizing tour of how our insides work. Computer-generated graphics give us the inside track on the body's beauty as well as its wizardry. Bones, muscles, the nervous system: They're all on display and synchronized to perfection. It's even better than science fiction.